Adornment & Currency

This collection brings together exceptional examples of African tribal currency and adornment, with particular emphasis on historic manillas and bronze trade forms from West Africa. These powerful objects once functioned as both monetary instruments and symbols of wealth, status, and exchange within pre-colonial trade networks.

Manillas — the distinctive horseshoe-shaped bronze or brass forms — were widely used across regions including Nigeria and the Niger Delta as a medium of exchange in local and international trade from the 15th to the 19th century. Beyond their economic function, they also carried cultural and ceremonial significance, often marking dowries, alliances, and social standing.

Alongside manillas, this collection features related forms of tribal currency and wearable wealth: bronze rings, adornments, and exchange objects that blur the line between ornament and money. These pieces reflect complex indigenous economies and craftsmanship traditions that predate modern monetary systems.

Each object is selected for its authenticity, historical integrity, and sculptural presence — unearthing the exceptional within African material culture.